Your opinion on foam core limbs

[onewhohasfun]

I have 2 bows that are the same draw wt.and very similiar in design. 1 foam/carbon, the other all wood. With light arrows, the foam/carbon is a wee faster, but with heavy arrows they shoot the same thru a chrony. Same string on both.

[Troy Breeding]

Heavy arrows are all I shoot. I like the idea of smoother draw, but if there isn't alot of difference in cast over boo it may not benifit me.

I've been told that preping the material is different to wood or boo.

Troy

[mmilinovich]

Carbon/foam limbs are touted for 3 things:  speed; smoothness of draw; and consistency of performance, regardless of humidity, temperature, etc.

Are they faster?  Yes.  But you probably won't tell the difference without a chronograph, all things being equal.  

Smoother?  I have a set of premium carbon/foam limbs (i.e. Trad Tech BF Extremes)that are among the very best available.  I haven't been able to feel much difference in smoothness when comparing them to bamboo core and wood lams.

Do carbon/foam make a difference when it comes to temperature, humidity, etc.?  Compared to wood, how can they not be more stable and consistent?

All that said, many archers will shoot their wood limbs just as comfortably and effectively as they would carbon/foam.

Mark

[JL]

I do not own foam core limbs but I have shot a few that had them. They are smooth and fast, that is for sure. If the foam cored limbs mass weight is less, it would stand to reason that they should be easier to tune. I think the main reason carbon is used is to give the limb lateral stability. I don't build bows but I could see the draw of using it in limbs. The more consistant the results, the better when building them. Natural limb materials tend to have their own qualitys. Foam is...well, foam. Only question I have with foam core limbs is durability. How do they stand up over time? Does the foam break down over time? I know they have used foam/carbon limbs for a long time in target shooting circles for a reason.

JL

[Doc Nock]

As arthritis has forced me to drop weight, the increased "performance" giving me heavier draw weight RESULTS with lighter draw weight, are seductive.

Having said that, reports suggest that all foam core and carbon do not end delivering the same output.

From some reading and reports, there is a lot of variance in materials that one can choose from out there in foam core and carbon and how they're used can nulify performance quickly if not done to the specifics of this "new age" material combo! FWIW.

Still seems to be a perceived improvement.  I stumbled on a used set of Morrison longbow limbs for the Cheyenne in carbon/fCore and they do seem to perform better than higher draw weight bamboo core/glass ... based on arrow flight performance...

My shoulders enjoy it though...

[Rob DiStefano]

i had a phone conversation with earl hoyt just before he passed on, and his thoughts about carbon/foam limb cores were that they were more environmentally consistent than glass/wood, which was perfect for the fita crowd with their longer curved sticks, but far less an advantage with hunters and their shorter sticks.  after listening to him, and trying out lotsa carbon/glass/foam limbs, i agree.  which is why i'll eschew the added expense of carbon/foam limbs for my hunters.  besides, who am i kidding?  almost all bows are gonna be better than me for consistency, and it's still the arrow that always matters most.  :D

[BowMIke]

I have some foam core/carbon backed Morrison Shawnees and ILF longbows and I really like them.
Smooth, fast and quiet.

[monsterbuck]

Stop by the Zipper booth this weekend in Kalzoo, talk to Bill about the carbon/foam limbs, he's a real nice guy. And builds great bows.

UPDATE
My Morrison ILF limbs arrived last week. They are foam core/glass. They are smooth, light and quick. They have a marginally snappier cast than bamboo cores. I find them somewhat noisier at the shot, though not as noisy as the foam/carbon limbs on my Shawnee. I like the aesthetic of bamboo a lot better than foam--it's a natural substance--and the quieter shot. I think I will enjoy these foam-cored limbs, and the little extra performance they give my 44# bow, but will probably opt for bamboo cores in the future.

[Over&Under]

Originally posted by Sixby:
Troy, I find the foam core limbs at same poundage to be faster and much smoother to pull. On my bows and my limb design. The limbs are quite a bit lighter for the same poundage. I have to say that I love them.

God bless you, Steve

I don't build bows but go through alot of them  :D   and would have to agree with Steve on this.  I 100% mirror his thoughts.

[hunt it]

I like the foam/carbon Morrison limbs so much better than the boo cores. To the point I do not own any boo cores any more, all of my bows are foam/carbon. Hunted them from -20 to +115 with no issues at all. The heavy limbs (70# +)shoot much nicer than boo cores. The added bonus of not worrying about moisture in the wood is a big plus for me when hunting humid environments.

[Terry Green]

I shot some fiberglass foam cores from Bob Morrison recently.......I was impressed.

[Hud]

Personally, I like bamboo, red elm, Yew, Osage and veneers under clear glass. I like the feel, and beauty of wood. I also like Yew and Osage in self-bows. Obviously, you can't get that from foam.

The advantage to a bowyer is the consistent characteristics from one piece to the next.

[BillW]

I just got a set of Sebastian Flutes Carbon Foam ILF limbs and they are quieter than my Carbon Wood Black Max limbs. I would also say they are quieter than a few of my more traditional recurve bows shooting the same arrow weight. As far as smoothness I say they are smooth and I do like the feel. I got these on a close out sale so I am very happy with them.

Bill

[Bob Morrison]

Personally, If I have a choice, Foam cores are all I ever shoot.Love the look of wood, but foam is weather resistant, quiet and smooth. Still working on a wood veneer that will work on carbon or fiberglass.

[stickbowhntr]

some good info here , much to mull over. Thanks

[Bob Morrison]

Bill, I can't send PM's call or e-mail me when you get time.

Bob

[Sixby]

Bob, I have worked on that myself. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. perhaps a couple of coats of epoxy over the veneers before you pull it. I have not tried that yet. I thought tigerwood would work but it cracked right off. Cox uses cocabola. I have not tried it yet. If that works then Osage should also.

God bless and good luck, Steve

[JamesKerr]

Don't want to hijack the thread but if the wood in a bow is sealed in a way that it won't absorb moisture, why would hummidity affect it?

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Originally posted by JamesKerr:
Don't want to hijack the thread but if the wood in a bow is sealed in a way that it won't absorb moisture, why would hummidity affect it?

There isn't a sealer made that will keep wood from reacting to humidity and temperature levels changing. You can take that to the bank.


Troy,
The foam is homogeneous, light weight, and not effected by temperature or humidity levels changing. it's an excellent product to work with from a bowyer's stand point because of it's consistency..... sand it smooth, and prep with accetone. just dusting it off doesn't do the trick.

The down side of it is it's very fragile until you get it laid up in the limb. We are talking about little tiny glass spheres here. if you drop a lam on it's end it typically shatters or breaks easily. it's also expensive material.

But....once you get it laid up in a limb it's down right impressive stuff. The compression properties are much higher than bamboo and it's half the physical weight.... do the math bro.

To some folks it's worth every penny spent. others swear by bamboo cores.  i like em both myself.  glass / bamboo, and carbon/foam both have great reviews for a very good reason. i haven't tried the glass/ foam combo yet, but hear they are a bit quicker than bamboo.    kirk